On February 21, 2014, Khalil Andani (Doctor of Philosophy of Candidate in Islamic Studies, Harvard University) delivered a lecture called “Shi’i Isma’ili Muslims: An Esoteric Tradition in Islam” as part of the Harvard Divinity School Muslim Council Speaker Series called “Diversity in Islam: Communities of Interpretation.” The lecture took place at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School and was followed by an open Q&A forum included in the video.
The lecture consists of the following topics:
1. Introduction
2. The Shi’i Imamat: Rational and Qur’anic Basis
3. The Ismaili Imamat through History
4. The Spiritual Functions of the Ismaili Imam
5. Ismaili Philosophy and Doctrine: Zahir and Batin, Tawhid, the Light of Imamat, Faith and Intellect
6. Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III: Life and Thought
7. Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni Aga Khan IV: Present Imam of the Ismaili Muslims
The open Q&A included the following topics:
1) Can you speak about Ismaili Muslim rituals?
2) What is the Ismaili approach to politics?
3) What is a Farman and what circumstances lead to the Imam making a Farman?
4) What is the Ismaili practice of zakat?
Khalil Andani is a doctoral (Ph.D) candidate specializing in Islamic intellectual history, theology, philosophy, and mysticism at Harvard University and holds a Master of Theological Studies degree (MTS 2014), specializing in Islamic philosophy and Ismaili thought, from Harvard University. Khalil’s publications include a book chapter on Nasir-i Khusraw’s philosophical thought in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy, a Review Article, two articles on Ismaili Philosophy in Sacred Web, and an article on Ismaili views of the Crucifixion of Jesus in The Matheson Trust. He was recently interviewed on CBC Radio about the the Aga Khan Museum.
He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CA-CPA) and has completed Bachelor of Mathematics (BMath) and Master of Accounting degrees at the University of Waterloo (2008). Over the last few years, Khalil has been invited to deliver several guest lectures and conference presentations on various topics pertaining to Islamic thought and Ismaili philosophy:
Harvard University:
2012 – Guest Lecture – “Reconciling Revelation and Philosophy in Ismaili Thought”
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/video-presentation-on-the-ismaili-thought-of-nasir-i-khusraw-by-khalil-andani-2/
2013 – Visions of Jesus in Esoteric Islam: Shi‘i Isma‘ili Christology
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2013/02/27/visions-of-jesus-in-esoteric-islam-shii-ismaili-christology-a-student-presentation-and-discussion-forum-at-harvard-divinity-school/
2014 – “Shi’i Isma’ili Muslims: An Esoteric Tradition in Islam”
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/harvard-presentation-by-khalil-andani-on-the-shii-ismaili-muslims-an-esoteric-tradition-in-islam/
2015 – “From Divine Word to Prophetic Word: Revelation in the Thought of Nasir-i Khusraw”
http://www.islamicstudies.harvard.edu/event/arabic-and-islamic-studies-graduate-student-workshop-4/
University of Toronto:
2011 – Introductory Lecture on the Shia Ismaili Muslims
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/video-university-of-toronto-student-lecture-on-shia-ismaili-islam-by-khalil-andani/
2012 – The Christology Symposium – Ismaili Muslim Perspectives on Jesus
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/video-ismaili-muslim-perpsectives-on-jesus-presented-by-khalil-andani-at-the-christology-symposium/
2013 – The Concept of Knowledge (‘ilm) in Nasir-i Khusraw’s Philosophy
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2013/06/01/video-the-concept-of-knowledge-ilm-in-nasir-i-khusraws-philosophy-by-khalil-andani/
2014 – The Metaphysics of Tawhīd: Ismā‘īlī and Akbarī Perspectives
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/khalil-andanis-presentation-on-the-concept-of-tawhid-in-the-ismaili-sufi-thought-at-the-university-of-toronto/
2015 – The Ismaili Influence on Al-Ghazali: A Reassessment
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/event-february-26-university-of-toronto-ismaili-influence-on-al-ghazali-khalil-andanis-presentation/
University of Chicago:
2013 – The Qur’an: Word of God or Word of Muhammad: Prophetic Revelation in the thought of Abdulkarim Soroush and Nasir-i Khusraw
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/shiraz-hajiani-khalil-andani-and-shatha-almutawa-to-present-at-university-of-chicagos-mehat-conference/
2014 – Monorealism: The Theology of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/04/29/khalil-andanis-upcoming-presentation-in-chicago-the-theology-of-sir-sultan-muhammad-shah-aga-khan-iii/
2014 – From Divine Word to Prophetic Word: Revelation in the Thought of Nasir-i Khusraw
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/khalil-andanis-presentation-in-chicago-revelation-in-the-thought-of-nasir-i-khusraw/
American Academy of Religion:
2014 – Delegation of Ismaili Imamat: Esoteric Thought in Physical Form
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/04/04/khalil-andanis-presentation-on-the-delegation-of-ismaili-imamat-esoteric-thought-in-physical-form/
2014 – Monorealism: The Theology of Sir Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/04/24/event-monorealism-the-theology-of-sir-sultan-muhammad-shah-aga-khan-iii-by-khalil-andani/
2015 – ‘God beyond God’ across Muslim and Christian Theology
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/event-march-21-boston-college-school-of-theology-khalil-andani-shared-theologies-between-islam-and-christianity/
Middle East Studies Association:
2013 – The Qur’an: Word of God or Word of Muhammad: Prophetic Revelation in the thought of Abdulkarim Soroush and Nasir-i Khusraw
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/iis-scholars-and-khalil-andani-present-papers-on-ismaili-historythought-at-2013-mesa-annual-meeting/
2014 – Reconciling Apophatic and Kataphatic Theology: The Neoplatonic Qur’anic Exegesis of Nāṣir-i Khusraw
https://ismailimail.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/the-neoplatonic-quranic-exegesis-of-naṣir-i-khusraw-khalil-andanis-presentation-at-mesa-2014-conference-in-washington-dc/
